The High Court in Voi has convicted police corporal Mark David Gitahi Marombe for the murder of Esau Juma Mwanguku in a case dating back to March 2019.
Following the conviction delivered on May 12, the court revoked the officer’s bond and ordered that he be remanded at Manyani GK Prison pending sentencing scheduled for June 2, 2026.
The case was investigated by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which stated that it launched investigations into the matter suo moto before recommending that the officer be charged with murder upon completion of the probe.
High Court convicts police corporal over 2019 murder of Esau Juma Mwanguku. Photo: Courtesy.
Court proceedings established that Marombe fatally shot Mwanguku at Rockland Restaurant in Taveta Town, where the two had reportedly been drinking before the incident occurred.
According to witness accounts presented before the court, the officer was on patrol when he encountered the victim and allegedly confronted him over a personal dispute. The altercation later escalated into violence, with reports indicating that both men were intoxicated at the time.
The officer reportedly fired a single bullet into Mwanguku’s chest, killing him instantly.
The shooting was immediately reported to Taveta Police Station by the nightclub manager, Francis Chege, prompting the officer’s arrest and subsequent investigations.
The High Court found the evidence presented by the prosecution compelling and ruled that the officer’s actions directly caused the death of Mwanguku.
